Room 42
Title: Room 42, Chapter 2
Fandom: Lost
Characters: Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, Alex, Charlie, Hurley, Desmond, Claire
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Chapter Summary: After rescuing Jack from isolation, the group returns to camp with a much-changed Jack and joined by Alex.
Disclaimer: Still ain't mine. Belongs to the producers and the people at ABC.
Notes: Also posted in ficinabottle and lost_fanfic
They reached the camp mid-afternoon. Sayid shooed everyone away as Sawyer led Jack to the doctor’s old shelter.
“You, uh, you need anything?”
Jack shook his head, his eyes not meeting Sawyer’s.
“You gonna be a’right if I go?”
A small nod.
“Check on you later,” Sawyer mumbled.
Sayid was arguing with Kate, insisting she leave Jack alone for now. Sawyer crossed over to them and separated them, drawing Kate aside to explain.
***
Desmond sat in the sand as Sun silently bandaged his arm, cleaning it more thoroughly than Alex and Charlie had been able to. Charlie stood off to one side, his arm around Claire.
“What happened?” she asked
“He was shot,” Charlie said.
Claire rolled her eyes. “I can see that, Charlie. But who did it? Why?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Desmond said. “He’s not a problem anymore.”
***
Alex sat on the beach, her feet buried in the sand. Hurley approached and held out a water bottle. Alex took it and gave a small smile. “Thanks.”
“Welcome. Mind if I sit?”
“Sure.”
Hurley held out a hand. “I’m Hurley.”
Alex shook his hand. “Alex.”
“So, Sayid said the Others took you, like, when you were a baby?”
Alex nodded, frowning. “And I know They did bad stuff and everything, but I tried to stop them and-”
“Whoa, whoa, chill. We know. You helped Claire escape. You helped us get Jack back. We know you’re not like Them.”
Alex was silent for a minute. “Then how come you’re the only one talking to me?”
Hurley shrugged. “Guess part of it’s surprise. I mean, you’re here and Jack’s here. It’s totally cool though. Kate told us how you helped her and Sawyer. Pretty awesome,” he said with a chuckle.
Alex gave a little half-smile. “Really?”
“Yeah! Totally. The whole slingshot thing. Old-school, but totally awesome.”
Alex’s smile grew. “Thanks. You’re sure people don’t mind me being here? I mean, it’s okay with them and everything?”
Hurley nodded. “Positive.”
***
Alex saw Sawyer carrying food towards Jack’s tent. She stood up. “Sawyer!”
He turned. “Need somethin’, Curley Sue?”
She jogged up the beach to him. “That for Jack?”
Sawyer nodded.
“Think I could bring it to him?”
Sawyer raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
Alex bit her lower lip. “I want to talk to him.”
Sawyer eyed her for a minute before nodding and handing her the plate.
***
Alex stepped into Jack’s tent and held out the plate. “Brought you some food.”
Jack glanced up at her.
“Can I sit?” she asked.
Jack nodded.
“I, um, I’m sorry about…everything. I know it doesn’t change it, but I want you to know-”
His voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear him. “Did They hurt you after too?”
She looked away and shrugged. “Not really.”
Jack stared at her, clearly not believing her.
Alex gave a soft sigh. “I’m fine.”
They sat in silence as Jack ate.
“Do you hate me?” she asked after a minute.
Jack shook his head.
“Not even after…”
Jack shook his head again. “Don’t hate you.”
***
Alex set up her campsite near Sawyer’s.
“You need more blankets or anything?” Sawyer asked over the campfire.
Alex shook her head. “Thanks, though.”
Sawyer nodded and headed into his shelter.
***
Sawyer woke in the early morning darkness to the sounds of muffled crying.
“Alex?” he whispered loudly.
There was no answer. Sawyer sighed and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. After a minute, he sat up. She wasn’t crying particularly loudly, but he felt guilty. She was just a kid. Sawyer stood up and grabbed a gun. If any of Them showed up, he wanted to be prepared.
He followed the whimpers to Alex’s shelter. The girl lay on the ground, shaking her head and kicking the sand.
“No,” she mumbled. “No…please…Please…he didn’t do it…Please…I’m sorry…my fault…Please…”
Sawyer nudged her leg, only to be kicked in the shin. Gritting his teeth, he crouched down and grabbed her shoulders.
“Alex! Wake up!”
Her eyes snapped open. She locked eyes with Sawyer and burst into tears, clinging to the older man.
Sawyer was taken aback but put his arms awkwardly around her, patting her back and stroking her hair. “Whoa, easy there, kiddo. What the hell happened?”
Alex sniffled and pulled away, wiping her eyes. “Just had a nightmare.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Figured as much.”
She pulled away further. “It’s nothing. Sorry I woke you.” Alex started to turn away, then stopped. “Sawyer, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Am I…am I a bad person?”
Sawyer shook his head. “You done a lotta good, girlie. My book that makes you a good person. Why?”
“It’s my fault,” she said softly, drawing her knees up to her chest.
“Your fault? What’s your fault?”
“Just…just go, Sawyer.”
“Alex, what the hell’s-”
She looked away but not before he noted the tears in her eyes again. “Please. Just leave me alone.”
Sawyer sighed and stood up, leaving her alone as the sun began to creep up over the edge of the horizon.
Fandom: Lost
Characters: Jack, Sawyer, Sayid, Alex, Charlie, Hurley, Desmond, Claire
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Chapter Summary: After rescuing Jack from isolation, the group returns to camp with a much-changed Jack and joined by Alex.
Disclaimer: Still ain't mine. Belongs to the producers and the people at ABC.
Notes: Also posted in ficinabottle and lost_fanfic
They reached the camp mid-afternoon. Sayid shooed everyone away as Sawyer led Jack to the doctor’s old shelter.
“You, uh, you need anything?”
Jack shook his head, his eyes not meeting Sawyer’s.
“You gonna be a’right if I go?”
A small nod.
“Check on you later,” Sawyer mumbled.
Sayid was arguing with Kate, insisting she leave Jack alone for now. Sawyer crossed over to them and separated them, drawing Kate aside to explain.
***
Desmond sat in the sand as Sun silently bandaged his arm, cleaning it more thoroughly than Alex and Charlie had been able to. Charlie stood off to one side, his arm around Claire.
“What happened?” she asked
“He was shot,” Charlie said.
Claire rolled her eyes. “I can see that, Charlie. But who did it? Why?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Desmond said. “He’s not a problem anymore.”
***
Alex sat on the beach, her feet buried in the sand. Hurley approached and held out a water bottle. Alex took it and gave a small smile. “Thanks.”
“Welcome. Mind if I sit?”
“Sure.”
Hurley held out a hand. “I’m Hurley.”
Alex shook his hand. “Alex.”
“So, Sayid said the Others took you, like, when you were a baby?”
Alex nodded, frowning. “And I know They did bad stuff and everything, but I tried to stop them and-”
“Whoa, whoa, chill. We know. You helped Claire escape. You helped us get Jack back. We know you’re not like Them.”
Alex was silent for a minute. “Then how come you’re the only one talking to me?”
Hurley shrugged. “Guess part of it’s surprise. I mean, you’re here and Jack’s here. It’s totally cool though. Kate told us how you helped her and Sawyer. Pretty awesome,” he said with a chuckle.
Alex gave a little half-smile. “Really?”
“Yeah! Totally. The whole slingshot thing. Old-school, but totally awesome.”
Alex’s smile grew. “Thanks. You’re sure people don’t mind me being here? I mean, it’s okay with them and everything?”
Hurley nodded. “Positive.”
***
Alex saw Sawyer carrying food towards Jack’s tent. She stood up. “Sawyer!”
He turned. “Need somethin’, Curley Sue?”
She jogged up the beach to him. “That for Jack?”
Sawyer nodded.
“Think I could bring it to him?”
Sawyer raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
Alex bit her lower lip. “I want to talk to him.”
Sawyer eyed her for a minute before nodding and handing her the plate.
***
Alex stepped into Jack’s tent and held out the plate. “Brought you some food.”
Jack glanced up at her.
“Can I sit?” she asked.
Jack nodded.
“I, um, I’m sorry about…everything. I know it doesn’t change it, but I want you to know-”
His voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear him. “Did They hurt you after too?”
She looked away and shrugged. “Not really.”
Jack stared at her, clearly not believing her.
Alex gave a soft sigh. “I’m fine.”
They sat in silence as Jack ate.
“Do you hate me?” she asked after a minute.
Jack shook his head.
“Not even after…”
Jack shook his head again. “Don’t hate you.”
***
Alex set up her campsite near Sawyer’s.
“You need more blankets or anything?” Sawyer asked over the campfire.
Alex shook her head. “Thanks, though.”
Sawyer nodded and headed into his shelter.
***
Sawyer woke in the early morning darkness to the sounds of muffled crying.
“Alex?” he whispered loudly.
There was no answer. Sawyer sighed and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. After a minute, he sat up. She wasn’t crying particularly loudly, but he felt guilty. She was just a kid. Sawyer stood up and grabbed a gun. If any of Them showed up, he wanted to be prepared.
He followed the whimpers to Alex’s shelter. The girl lay on the ground, shaking her head and kicking the sand.
“No,” she mumbled. “No…please…Please…he didn’t do it…Please…I’m sorry…my fault…Please…”
Sawyer nudged her leg, only to be kicked in the shin. Gritting his teeth, he crouched down and grabbed her shoulders.
“Alex! Wake up!”
Her eyes snapped open. She locked eyes with Sawyer and burst into tears, clinging to the older man.
Sawyer was taken aback but put his arms awkwardly around her, patting her back and stroking her hair. “Whoa, easy there, kiddo. What the hell happened?”
Alex sniffled and pulled away, wiping her eyes. “Just had a nightmare.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Figured as much.”
She pulled away further. “It’s nothing. Sorry I woke you.” Alex started to turn away, then stopped. “Sawyer, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Am I…am I a bad person?”
Sawyer shook his head. “You done a lotta good, girlie. My book that makes you a good person. Why?”
“It’s my fault,” she said softly, drawing her knees up to her chest.
“Your fault? What’s your fault?”
“Just…just go, Sawyer.”
“Alex, what the hell’s-”
She looked away but not before he noted the tears in her eyes again. “Please. Just leave me alone.”
Sawyer sighed and stood up, leaving her alone as the sun began to creep up over the edge of the horizon.